Taking The Initiative
by dirty-vusiness
Summary: [6x02 SPOILER-ISH?] After almost six years of observing both Quinn and Rachel interact, Santana decides it's about time somebody gives them a little push. And she's more than happy to be the one doing it. Faberry. Brittana. Rated T.


**A/N: Alrighty so, I've returned once again. Yes I know, I know. "Where the heck have you been? Don't you have another story to update?" I do. That's gonna be uploaded soon too, (Rosario Cruz, is it?), this weekend, if I don't have piles of homework or anything. You can hate me if you wanna. I'd also like to openly clarify that I'm a multishipper, so if you're looking for a specific pairing in each and every single one of these stories then you shouldn't expect to find that here. Always depends on my mood. Welp. Faberrittana for life.**

**And also, s/o to sarfgron and Faberrista on Twitter for building this idea along with me! Yay!**

**Summary: **Set after the 'Problem' performance, [6x02 SPOILERS] Santana can no longer take a second of Quinn and Rachel's obliviousness and decides it's time for someone to intervene. Nobody gets the actual choice of protesting, and it's not like she'd allow it anyway. Faberry, mostly. With some sweet Brittana on the side, too.

**Review if you like it xx**

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><p><strong>Taking The Initiative<strong>

_One less, one less problem_

_Yeahhh…!_

With that, the three former Cheerios finished what could only be described as yet another slayed performance by the one and only Unholy Trinity. Younger members of the cheer squad could only gape after what they'd just witnessed.

Everybody knew who those three were for a reason and every single one of them could see exactly why now.

Santana was the first one to break their typical final pose, with Quinn always standing in the middle, walking off to the bleachers in order to retrieve her water bottle and take a long, well deserved sip.

She did notice the way most of the students hanging there, along with jocks and such, stared for a bit too long. Yeah, that was an effect she had in people. Still.

Brittany joined her shortly and it didn't take long for the both of them to figure Quinn wasn't anywhere close just yet.

All the way across the field, talking to a rather short brunette animatedly, was the platinum blonde who completed their power trio.

"Of course." Santana said with a roll of her eyes, once again bringing her half-full bottle up close to her lips. The dancer next to her could only chuckle. Neither of them had ever questioned it whenever Rachel and Quinn interacted but it had been over five years now and it seemed as if everybody around them noticed that special _something _except for the pair.

"What do you think they're saying?" Asked Brittany curiously before taking a seat down on a random spot on the grass.

"No idea."

* * *

><p>The singer hadn't been exactly thrilled about returning to Lima after her the whole Rachel Berry Project fiasco. If anything, she was full of regret.<p>

She'd abandoned her one dream. A big part of her. Broadway. Under the idea that she was ready for more. Truth to be told, Rachel had known deep down, from the moment she said yes to the TV show, that she was only saying yes out of pure selfishness and ambition.

Now, the choir that had gotten her so far was all that she had left.

Her parents were separating and, yes, she was stuck.

But at least she knew there were others out there, people with dreams and aspirations that needed guidance from somebody who had crawled their way up from the very bottom. Naturally, it wasn't just her.

The New Directions were full of talented people; some of them kind of pretentious and self-centered, but talented nevertheless.

Today was the legitimate proof of that.

She'd never admitted it to anybody but, if they were being completely honest, one thing nobody knew about Rachel Berry was how much of a fan of Quinn, Brittany and Santana's performances she was. On a normal basis, she would not hesitate on pointing out minor flaws out of pure instinct but this wasn't necessarily the case.

There was something about the unreal level of synchrony those three girls had that never ceased to amaze her.

Each one of them had a specific characteristic that made them stand out, without eclipsing the other two.

Brittany had a way to pull off any dance move without blinking, even if her voice wasn't the strongest, it was still vital in vocal matters. Otherwise it would sound dull. The tall blonde's cheerfulness seemed to also find its way into songs every single time.

In Santana's case, there was that sexy factor. Her husky voice and ability to sensually sway following the beat made it impossible for one not to want to see more. Or hear, if those high notes she skillfully reached without even trying mattered. Which they really did.

Then… Then there was Quinn.

She could go on and on about her graceful moves and angelic voice, all day if she wanted to but Rachel knew better than to ramble in her blonde friend's presence.

They had just finished performing "Problem" by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea and she had been lucky enough to watch it all. It was needless to say the former Broadway star was unable to help herself and clapped, a wide smile spreading on her lips.

This seemed to have gotten Quinn's attention, who turned to look back at her two best friends momentarily before walking in the opposite direction, towards Rachel. They wouldn't exactly mind, would they?

…

Probably not.

"Hey." Quinn greeted her breathlessly, her chest still heaving due to the agitation of performing with the sun above, as bright as ever.

"Hello, Quinn." Rachel replied, arms folded over her chest as she took a step closer, squinting her eyes due to the intense sunrays they were directly exposed to. "You look quite shaken up." She told her jokingly, earning a laugh from the short-haired blonde who nodded.

"I am." She confirmed with a tired smile, gently wiping her forehead with the back of her palm. "What did you think?" The Christian girl asked, making Rachel stand straighter, her own smile widening.

How could she lie about it?

"On a scale from one to ten, I would not think twice before giving the three of you a million."

At this, Quinn's brows rose, her expression turning to a much more amused one instead. "Who would have known _the _Rachel Berry would be openly giving us a golden star musically?" She nudged the diva softly, making her roll her eyes in a playful manner and shake her head.

"You three were amazing. There is no way I could ever refrain from telling you." Rachel explained matter-of-factly, nudging Quinn back the exact same way she had done so just a few seconds ago.

"Mhmm. Well, just know that is very much appreciated." Was the hazel green-eyed young woman's answer, with a hint of sarcasm and yet still seriousness in that incredibly soothing tone of hers. How did she even do that, again?

"I can only im—" Rachel started but was cut off by the sight of Santana walking up to them, clearly ready to interrupt.

It always happened, eventually. Before she could actually feel like she was having a real conversation with Quinn. This was pretty much a normal thing.

Noticing the performer's attention had been drawn somewhere else, Quinn turned around only to find the Latina girl had approached them and she had that determined look in her eyes.

She was up to something.

"What is it?" The ex-head cheerleader inquired, narrowing her eyes at Santana suspiciously.

"Follow me." She answered flatly. In response, Rachel frowned.

"Where, if I may ask?" The hesitation in her voice was evident, she had lived with the slightly taller brunette long enough to be able to tell when she had something in mind and this was definitely one of those cases where she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted.

The question remained unanswered, though. Why exactly did Santana need for them to follow her god knows where?

With an exasperated sigh, she wrapped her slender fingers around Quinn and Rachel's wrists and pulled, effectively dragging them both back and towards the entrance that led back into McKinley. At least the closest entrance there was.

Rachel yelped as she was pulled in such an abrupt manner, exchanging confused looks with the other girl as Santana muttered something about being absolutely done.

… Done with what?

"What on Earth are you doing, Santana?" Quinn demanded, less nicely than she had before, attempting to pull her arm back but it was no use. They were just as strong and she was also exhausted thanks to that routine from earlier.

"Shut up, Q. You can thank me later." Still rounding the subject.

_Wonderful, _Quinn thought. She figured the Hispanic girl wouldn't stop nagging either of them until they agreed so she didn't argue.

What was the worst Santana could do to them? She wasn't that twisted. At least she wanted to think they hadn't done anything worth having her going 'All Lima Heights on their sorry asses'. Not lately.

Right? Right.

* * *

><p>The pair had been led all the way down the halls, past the girl's bathrooms and the principal's office, also having earned odd looks from people who were actual students at their old school, and yet Santana still wouldn't tell them what was going on.<p>

It was starting to piss Quinn off.

Finally, after around ten more minutes, their 'kidnapper' stopped, right in front the janitor's closet.

"Uhm." Was the only sound Quinn could make at the discovery of their mystery destination.

"Santana. Not that I don't feel flattered by this… Rather unexpected proposition but I don't think it is appropriate to do such thing in an educational facility." Rachel immediately said to her former roommate, slowly retracting her arm from her death grip.

Judging by the way Santana eyed her, she could only figure that wasn't anywhere close to why she had brought them there.

"Alright. No more bullshit. I think I might actually burst into flames if I have to sit through one more second of this." She told the girls, a bit too straightforwardly, motioning between them two.

"And what is _this _exactly?" Quinn asked her with annoyance, mimicking her best friend's gesture.

It looked as if Santana was preparing to drop a huge bomb on them and truth to be told, neither Rachel nor Quinn knew how to feel about it. How bad could it be…?

It wasn't bad. Or was it?

Rachel shook her head, telling herself she should just shrug that idea off. The three of them were in relatively good terms, last time she had checked. Santana wouldn't attempt to do anything close to malicious to either of them. That was something she was sure of.

"I'm gonna put it this way." Santana started, clasping her hands together, her gaze shifting from one confused girl to another. "You two have known each other for, what, almost six years now?" She asked, giving them an expectant look until one of them, Quinn, nodded.

"Yeah, well." She continued, reaching out to twist the door behind her's knob and pulling it open, barely. "For six years, not only have I watched you both exchange puppy looks and such, everyone else has. Literally. Ask anybody." Making a brief pause, yet still not giving them the opportunity to comment, she kept talking. "It's annoying. I mean, come on. Are you two really that oblivious to notice you've clearly got it bad, and I'm not even kidding when I say _bad, _for each other?"

Full silence.

Rachel blinked, so many times Santana thought she might have been having a seizure or something, before her chocolate brown eyes tried to find Quinn's.

Had they both misheard?

"You've lost it. You've completely lost it today, Santana Lopez." Quinn told her simply, beginning to turn back in order to return to the football field but it seemed like Santana wasn't having any of it.

"I'm not done yet."

Quinn snorted, folding her arms over her chest defensively as she stood back where she had been before.

Rachel on the other hand was completely quiet, somehow having found it in her to respect Santana's statement and wait until she was finished to say how messed up the concept was.

No more protests, though. Santana had to admit she was proud of herself on that. She did think it would be harder to do but, with these two listening rather than arguing on it, it probably wouldn't take less than a couple hours for them to realize it all.

She hoped.

It was Friday.

Hello? Date night. Aka, the one thing the feisty Latina refused to cancel.

"As I was saying!" She told them with fake enthusiasm, it was just turning out to be funnier than she thought. "I decided it was time for someone to break it down to you, so you can both drop the whole 'date this man and then another' act you've been pulling off this whole time and give me a reason not to stab my own eyes out with a fork." Even though her tone made it sound fairly reasonable, in Quinn's ears, it was all messed up.

How and why would anybody ever think she had a thing for Rachel Berry?

"This is a joke, isn't it? You're only messing with both Quinn and I." The previously mentioned woman dared to question, no longer serene but the opposite now. She didn't look enraged, really. Just panicked.

Gay panicked.

Fully opening the janitor's closet, Santana basically shoved the singer in, the fakest smile of them all playing on her lips.

"Oh no, there is no way you're making me go in there as well." Quinn interjected as soon as she came to the realization that she was supposed to join, too. But Santana gave her no choice, struggling a bit but still succeeding at pushing her two-time thing buddy in the small room too.

Closing the door and locking it from the outside was the easy part.

Brittany had managed to befriend the new janitor in no time, basically and just that morning she had showed her the key to the one place they'd usually meet at during sophomore year to get their mack on.

Apparently, trading half a sandwich for the spare key was a fair deal.

She didn't even question it once this whole idea struck her.

Speaking of, just as she leaned against the wall with a satisfied sigh, her girlfriend approached her, scooting close whilst supporting her own weight on the concrete wall behind them, offering Santana a tiny smile.

"Do they love each other already?"

With a snort of a laugh, the shorter woman reached out and laced their fingers together, bringing their linked hands up, close to her lips to softly kiss Brittany's knuckles. "Give them an hour or two." She murmured before pulling back, exclusively to peck the dancer's cheek and make her look down at her own feet with a sheepish smile.

"It was very nice of you to let them borrow our closet." Brittany commented, moving a lock of Santana's hair behind her ear. Ever since they'd gotten back together things were just better than ever.

She didn't think they could improve more than they had so far. It was as if they were at their happiest.

"Well, Britt-Britt. You know me. I'm all about helping those who need a little push out of Narnia." Santana attempted to keep a serious tone whilst saying that last thing but couldn't help it when the corners of her mouth tugged up in a wide smile.

…

"More like a push _into _Narnia." Brittany replied, a soft giggle ensuing, along with a laugh on Santana's side, too.

Yep, she loved this girl.

* * *

><p>"Santana, for the hundredth time, let us out of here!"<p>

Quinn had been banging on the wooden door for the last five minutes, calling her frenemy's name several times and pretty much ordering for her to release them both but it was almost as if she was just ignoring her.

Rachel stood back, having a really hard time feeling anywhere close to comfortable in such a small room. With all the cleaning products they had around, she was surprised there was enough space for both her and the blond girl to fit without being fully pressed against one another.

Unless that was Santana's idea all along…

"I do not think she will listen, Quinn…" The singer told her friend hesitantly, pursing her lips into a thin line at the slight glare her once nemesis threw at her. "I don't see the point of all of this either but I really doubt she is willing to let us out either way. Didn't you see how convinced she was that the both of us share some sort of Sapphic bond?"

Now it was Quinn's turn to stay quiet.

When she thought of it, Santana did sound like she was a hundred percent sure of what she had supposedly noticed.

"And she said everybody else noticed that, too…" The blond woman thought aloud, brows furrowing as she analyzed it all. Around thirty seconds passed and she only ended up throwing her hands up in the air frustratingly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry but I don't see how there would be a bond like that between you and I."

Rachel hummed, tapping her chin as her eyes focused on a random spot in the room. She was thinking.

"How about this? Let's list down any event of relevance we can possibly think of that irremediably links us both in a way that is similar to that. Sound good?" Asked the petite girl, who was already looking through every single one of her memories from the past six years to start this all for once.

"Fair enough."

"_I don't hear you loving each other in there!" _Santana's voice was faintly heard on the outside, to which Quinn only answered by kicking the door. Not roughly but just enough to startle her Latina friend.

"Go on." She finally said, gesturing for Rachel to begin.

The brown-eyed girl bit down on her lower lip in thought, sighing through her nose. "Well…" She trailed off, looking up at Quinn who only tilted her head curiously.

"I did do anything I possibly could to stop Jacob from telling the entire school about your pregnancy." She shut her eyes closed, knowing there was something else there that she wasn't focusing on.

"You did…" Quinn agreed slowly, still unable to see it. They were friends. So? That just so happened to be a thing friends did.

Except they weren't friends at the time…

With a shrug, Rachel chose to move on just so this didn't draw out any more. "Your turn, I suppose?"

"Yes, um…" She ran a hand through her already messy platinum locks, a rather concentrated look in her eyes.

It was kind of intense, if Rachel could point it out…

Almost appealing.

Huh?

"Sophomore year, too. You wanted glee club to have a whole page in the school's yearbook." Rachel nodded at this, confirming she did in fact remember that one event. "Well, I did convince Coach Sylvester to give up one of the Cheerios' pages…"

"Santana said you blackmailed her into it…" Rachel remarked ironically, only to have Quinn blushing a bit at that last part.

"Semantics." She muttered, tearing her gaze away. Was it getting hot in there or was it just her in that Cheerios Alumni uniform?

"Right. And…?" Her short friend quickly retook the main subject, quite interested in hearing everything Quinn had managed to think of that could unite them in a certain way. It was good somehow. She did say she wanted to be able to have a real conversation with one of her closest friends for a while now. This was a wonderful start.

"And nobody else but you wanted that whole page…?" I guess that could count but, it didn't mean she was in love with Rachel!

Still, the diva smiled at the memory, unable to hold back a soft laugh. "As a matter of fact, it was appreciated. Maybe I didn't say it then but I am doing it now. There's many things I didn't thank you for."

"Rachel, please… You know you don't have to thank me for anything. We're friends."

"I still want to do it. Will you let me?"

"Stubborn… But fine. It's not like I have a choice."

"Hey." Rachel pouted, crossing her arms over her chest . Quinn laughed this time, placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Come on. It's true."

"May I start thanking you now?"

"… Yes."

Clearing her throat a bit too dramatically, like only the one and only Rachel Berry would ever, she made a reverence only for the sake of it, growing more and more comfortable with how easy it was for her to actually talk to Quinn. "Quinn Fabray." She started off in an overly formal voice tone, holding her head up high, eyes closed.

Quinn was having a hard time not laughing at any of that.

"I wanted to directly thank you for giving up on your prom queen crown, just so I could have a night in which I truly felt special and loved." Now she sounded serious. Emotional, but serious. A half smile appeared on the blond Christian's features, she could only wave her friend off, mouthing 'It's alright.' But Rachel insisted. "Really, Quinn. It was an unforgettable night. And I can thank you and Santana for it."

"For the record, you _are _special and loved. But please go on." Quinn said before she even got the chance to register it, stopping everything right on her tracks for a millisecond. Did she do that often?

Rachel's cheeks reddened and she looked down, "Yes, of course…"

"I… I also wanted to say thank you for being honest with me, whenever I asked you for advice. You never sugarcoated things and that was something not many could do, afraid of how I might take it. If it wasn't for you, I would probably not be as rational while making important decisions as I am today."

Wow.

It was the first word that came to Quinn's mind.

She knew they were similar to each other's support generally, but. Did she really have such a big impact in Rachel's life?

"Somebody had to…" The taller girl said, this time keeping her hands to herself.

Were they usually touchy or was she merely overreacting thanks to what Santana had said?

Very good question.

"No, nobody had to do it. It was not an obligation and yet, there you were, weren't you?" Like she had read her mind or something similar, Rachel placed both of her hands on her arms and rubbed them affectionately, a shiver running down Quinn's spine.

That didn't feel so bad.

"I was."

Having a hard time talking now, too?

"And you were also there, when I called you just a few weeks back, after finding out my dads were divorcing. So yes, Quinn. You do have a very good influence in me and I definitely consider you one of my best friends because of it." Her hands were still resting a bit too comfortably on Quinn's arms, which didn't seem to really bother her but it wasn't something so easy to ignore.

"I don't think I ever want to see you that sad again." Quinn answered, taking both of Rachel's hands in hers.

Then.

Oh. Sparkles.

"I just… Know what it is like…" She swallowed, this time forcing her own smile.

"I know that, yes." Rachel told her reassuringly, giving her hands a light squeeze. "Oh. I think I just remembered something that I also did for you." She quickly added, as if the sole idea had hit her like a bucket of icy cold water.

"Okaaay…? What is that?" Quinn asked with a sort of nervous laugh, only because of the look in Rachel's eyes. It was pure realization.

She was experiencing some of that herself so, if there was anybody who could tell what it looked like, that was definitely her, too.

… How long had they been in there?

"During Junior prom, do you remember the corsage that you were wearing?" The question had Quinn's brows furrowing in confusion more than anything, if she wasn't already lost, yet she nodded anyway.

"Of course I remember. The gardenia. I actually thought it was a nice gesture from Finn because it mat—"

"It matched your eyes." Rachel finished the sentence for her, licking her lips anxiously as she prepared herself to finally tell Quinn the truth about that one thing.

Except she didn't really have to tell her.

Quinn was smart. Above the average kind of smart. Not to mention, very intuitive when she tried hard enough. At the beginning she had struggled to believe Finn could be so observant, so thoughtful, but never made a big deal about it.

"It wasn't Finn…" It certainly came out as a statement, rather than anything close to a question.

Rachel shook her head only.

And then silence.

They stared at each other for a bit too long, having a silent conversation with their eyes, definitely aware that they were expressing more than words themselves had to begin with.

Five minutes passed and only then, Rachel spoke.

"Gardenias… They're supposed to mean secret love."

There was no response from Quinn's part immediately, other than yet another long stare and Rachel thought it wasn't such a relevant thing, for a moment only.

Because next thing she knew, Quinn was leaning in, cupping both of her cheeks with her hands and pressing their lips together in a deep kiss.

* * *

><p>By the time Santana opened the door again, she was not surprised to find her two friends barely having pulled back from something way too far from a first kiss, a smug smile playing on her lips.<p>

"Shut up." Quinn told her, shoving her back gently.

She didn't even answer, only high fiving Brittany and then wrapping her arm around her waist as they watched her and Rachel walk away, taking a brief look around before holding hands like any other completely sappy and in love couple would.

They probably still had many things to talk about. But, the janitor's closet wasn't the best place for that.

"I might just be The Lesbian Whisperer, babe. I can see it now." Santana said, nodding at the opposite side of the hall so her and her girlfriend could head to the blonde's place and perhaps cuddle for a while.

Fun fact. Santana loved cuddles.

"You sure are." Brittany agreed, rolling her eyes before kissing the top of Santana's head, snaking an arm around the shorter woman's shoulders.

Another fun fact? Brittany didn't think she could love anyone the way she loved Santana. And she didn't want to love anybody else.

* * *

><p>A week later, Quinn convinced Rachel to rebuild her path and fight for her initial dream of being a Broadway star. Though she promised to help however she could back in Lima, she trusted Sam on leading their beloved club on the right road. So she left. But not alone. They both are currently in New Haven, sharing an apartment and are also in the process of changing their Facebook statuses to "in a relationship".<p>

Baby steps.

If everyone else's continuous comments on it were anything to go by, then that was the happiest anyone had ever seen them.

Quinn was still the first in her class and had also gotten one of her stories published in the local newspaper. To everybody else it might have not seemed like a lot but, at least she knew exactly what it was.

Just like her new life with someone she had in fact been in love with, since she was only fifteen years old, it was a new start.

The beginning of something great.

Something theirs.

* * *

><p>Santana and Brittany stayed in New York, though they constantly visited other former New Direction members, wanting to avoid losing touch. Their apartment was big enough for them to live happily in and they were happy to announce there would soon be a third member in their tiny family. It had been Santana's idea for them to adopt a puppy and Brittany, being Brittany, had agreed before her lady lover could even finish.<p>

They still hadn't picked any names but, they weren't pushing it.

Santana had booked a few more commercials. This time not about any kind of yeast infection or anything close to that. Along the lines, she met an extra for one of said commercials, whose father owned an independent record company. It wasn't a 100% confirmed but if things went well, there would be a single out there with her name on it.

She's rumored to be planning on recording yet another duet with Mercedes.

As for Brittany. The quirky blonde worked at a dance studio for a couple of months, not only to pay the bills but also because she felt like it, even though she quit afterwards. Dancing was her passion, yes. But she wanted to try more things.

Life was just too short.

Photography, painting… And of course, continuously uploading videos for her internet talk show. They were all great, and altogether, the really did make a great combination. She wasn't complaining. If it was up to her, she'd try every single thing.

Who knew? Maybe one day, Fondue For Two would be upgraded to an actual talk show.

A girl could dream.

She still danced. Not as an obligation or to keep money coming. She did so because that was what she wanted.

Santana had been supportive the entire way, so she was unstoppable.

They were unstoppable, too.

* * *

><p>Both couples met up, at least once a month to have lunch together, and catch up. Santana constantly teased Quinn and Rachel but they perfectly knew she was only happy that they were as well.<p>

They laughed, encouraged each other on anything they could and it simply seemed like one of those friendships that would eventually go for long.

And to think they couldn't even stand each other at some point!

Today, that was something to laugh at only.

Maybe they weren't kids anymore. Maybe popularity and plastic crowns had stopped mattering but at least they had plenty of learned lessons to remember from all of that.

From every single time a slushie was thrown in their direction.

When one was willing to keep moving forward and keep their head high proudly, did it really matter?

No, not at all.

Not even a little bit.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A girl can dream about their major OTPs' sort of endings, right? [sobs] Thank you for your time, friends. Thank you.**


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